Tag: Presidency Of Theodore Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt was born on October 11, 1884, in New York City. She passed away at the age of 78 on November 7, 1962. When she was 20 years of age, she got married to Franklin D. Roosevelt, who would later go on to become the President of the United States. Together they went on to have 5 children. Unfortunately, Franklin D. Roosevelt was struck with paralysis and lost the mobility of his legs. Eleanor served as the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. Eleanor, who was very shy and always behind the scenes, had to make public appearances on F.D.R.’s behalf in front of the world. I think that took some guts!

During her years as the First Lady of the United States, Eleanor supported the New Deal policies of her husband. In an era where women didn’t have much power or careers in the political world, she strived to spread her word and continue her work, which she had begun prior to becoming the First Lady. She had learned from watching her Aunt, Edith Roosevelt, who was the First Lady during the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. Her aunt faced strict rules and regulations. Eleanor wanted things to be different for her. She was the first female to hold weekly press conferences and she also started to write for a newspaper column. During F.D.R.’s presidency, she was very vocal in her support for the African-American civil rights movement. In 1940s, she was one of the co-founders of Freedom House and she also supported the assembly of the United Nations.

After the death of her husband in 1945, Eleanor continued to strive as an author, speaker, politician, and activist. She was appointed by President Harry S. Truman as a delegate to the UN General Assembly from 1945 and 1952. During her time in the UN, her committee approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. President Truman coined her with the title, the “First Lady of the World” for her achievements. She stayed active in politics for the remainder of her life, and is a true GirlMogul we can look up to today.